European candidates selected for 2014

THE Conservative Party in the North has picked its candidates for the European Parliamentary Elections in May 2014.

Its follows a party ballot of Conservative Party members to rank candidates for the 3 regions.

Electors in European elections choose a political party, rather than individuals, to vote for. MEPs are then elected from different parties based on the proportion of the vote received by that party across the region.

North East - which comprises Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, County Durham and parts of North Yorkshire.

The current Conservative Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Martin Callanan, will be number one on the party’s list for the North East region.

In the North East, three MEPs will be elected with Martin Callanan being joined by two other Conservative candidates, Ben Houchen and Andrew Lee to contest the elections.

Ben Houchen is a councillor in Stockton-on-Tees and works as a solicitor.

Andrew Lee is a self-employed businessman from North Yorkshire and has been a member of North Yorkshire County Council since 2005.

North West - which comprises Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside.

The current Conservative Members of the European Parliament (MEP) Jacqueline Foster and Sajjad Karim, will be numbers one and two on the party’s list for the North West region.

In the North West, eight MEPs will be elected with Jacqueline Foster and Sajjad Karim being joined by six other Conservative candidates, Kevin Beaty, Deborah Dunleavy, Joe Barker, Daniel Hamilton, Chris Whiteside and James Walsh, to contest the elections.

Kevin Beaty has a farm in Cumbria with 300 Jersey cows and a green waste composting business. He is also an Eden councillor.

Mum-of-three Deborah Dunleavy is a director of Peel Policy Forum and has worked as a director in the NHS helping to improve patient safety.

Joe Barker is a lawyer and has been a member of the Conservative Party since the age of 15.

Daniel Hamilton’s family live in Manchester and he is a partner in one of Europe’s largest regulatory and government relations firm.

Chairman of the Cumbria Area Conservatives, Chris Whiteside has been a district councillor, group leader and portfolio holder in the county.

James Walsh is from Bolton and since 2009 has been a senior policy adviser on the EU and International Affairs for the National Association of Pension Funds.

Yorkshire & the Humber - which comprises of North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and the Humber.

The current Conservative Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Timothy Kirkhope will be number one on the party’s list for the Yorkshire and the Humber region.

In Yorkshire and the Humber, six MEPs will be elected with Timothy Kirkhope being joined by five other Conservative candidates, including Alex Story, John Procter, Carolyn Abbott and Michael Naughton to contest the elections.

A selection for the final position is still to take place.

Father-of-three Alex Story is a former Olympic rower and has campaigned in parliamentary and local elections across the region.

John Procter has been a Leeds City Councillor since 1992 and is the chief executive officer of successful facilities management company.

Carolyn Abbott is a director of a family-run manufacturing business in Sheffield and has worked as a parliamentary researcher in Westminster.

Michael Naughton is currently a policy adviser to the Conservative Group in the European Parliament.

Grant Shapps, Conservative Party Chairman said:

“For 13 years Labour handed power to Brussels. Conservatives are now delivering a better deal for Britain in Europe, protecting our interests and helping the UK compete in the global race.

“Conservatives are the only party to have back a referendum in Parliament to give the British people a say on our EU membership.

“Our great candidates in the North show we have the people, policies and leadership to deliver a reformed EU. All Labour offers Britain is more spending, more borrowing and more debt.”